Annuities were often used as a way to raise funds for public works. From buildings to bridges to easing the national debt, annuities provided a new way for governments to raise funds while also providing some kind of return benefit to investors. The Waterloo Bridge was one such project funded by annuities.

The Waterloo bridge is a popular London bridge, crossing the Thames between Blackfriars and Hungerford. Its construction was funded largely by standard annuity transfers, documentation of which the Annuity Museum possesses. The Waterloo Bridge project was probably the most successful public works project to be completed by annuity funding.